St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1887-01-08

| who communicates IT to the House. IC
these methods there may be added q
fifth, European invention: Each
| members desk is connected by two
wires with an indicator behind the pre-
siding officers chair. BY touching
one or the other he votes YES or no.
and the result is. seen at once and by
all. The adoption of this practice
would be sad blow to the American
device known as filibustcring. by which
so much valuable legislative time has
been consumed.
is capable of being employed in caI-
euses ahd political conventions. but is
wholly inapplicable either in popular
elections or in representative assem-
hlies. This is called the marking
list" and is probably more popular in
New England. particularly in Mass
achusetts. than anywhere else. Sup
pose three delegates are to be chosen
to a convention to nominate Con-
gresham. The caucus votes to open a
marking list. Nominations are made.
and the names are written down upon
sheet of paper. Each voter then
makes . mark opposite the names OF
three persons whom he prefers. and a
plurality of votes elects. If there arc
persons to watch and see that no voter
puts down more marks than he ought,
that he does not mark more than once,
and that no unauthorized person marks
at all. this is a very expeditions way OF
voting. and the counting is matter Of
very little labor or time.
l merely glance at one or two Of the
methods of voting at popular elections.
The ordinary American election needs
no description. We all have the ticket
distributors. the ballot-boxes and the
other surroundings of an election be-
fore our eyes. Unfortunately. too. we
know how even granting all the i'm
prOvement suggested above, the privi-
lege of the freeman is abused. Men.
whose real names are not on the regis
try, vote under assumed names even
yet-names which are not on the list:
they vote more than once at different
precincts; the ballot. invented to give
them an opportunity to conceal their
action, is recognizable rods away; men
are brought to the polls like SO many cat
tie and vote as they are told 10 do. This
picture is, let US be thankful. getting
rarer every year among US, but unfortu-
nateiy it is correctly drawn for too
many American elections.
The ballot in England. however. is
very different from that which goes by
the same name among Us. 1t is 4
machine of great complication and in
tricacy. and totally inapplicable to our
system of government. Englishmen
elect only members of Parliament and
q few loca. officers. The administra-
tive and judicial officers arc all ap-
pointed. The plan which may possibly
work we'll in general practice for the
choice of a single member. or of two
or three members on one ticket. could
not be employed in an election for the
choice of various executive, legislative
and judicial officers for nation. State.
country and city at the same time.
It-is impossible to describe briefly
the ballot system adopted in Great
Britain in 1872. and only an outline
sketch can be.given. The public nOm-
ination is abolished. but the nomina-
ton day is preserved. the ceremony
taking place in the presence of only a
few designated persons. If only rs
many candidates are nominated as are
to be elected. they are at once declared
elected. II there are more candidates,
there must be n ballot. The cleo
ton officers procure the printing
of the requisite number of ballots,
which are bound in the same way as .
merchants check book: that is to say.
there is a coupon which may be de-
tached, leaving part of the leaf still
in the book. Upon the ballots are
printed the names of all the candidates
in alphabetical order. When the elec-
tor presents himself at the polls. he
first satisfies the presiding officer that
he is 3 legal voter. The latter then
tears or ballot. upon the back of
which he puts an official stamp. after
which he enters the registered number
of the electUr on the retained part of
the ballot. or counterfOil, and makes =
mark against the name of the voter on
the registry.
The voters and the ballots both being
numbered. in case it becomes necessary
to ascertain how any particular person
has voted, as. for instance. il there is \
contest on the ground of illegal voting.
the identical ballot given by each per-
son may be found aud examined. The
voter. having received his ballot. re-
tires to room provided for the pur-
pose. where, unseen by any person. he
makes mark opposite the name of the
person for whom he wishes to vote.
He then folds the paper SO rs to con-
ceal the printing and mark within. but
to show the official stamp on the back.
returns to the polling room. and throws
the ballot into the box. To use the
words of Mr.. Webster in quite another
The deed is done. No
eye has seen him; no ear has heard
him. His secret is his own, and it is
safe" He is obliged to keep it .
secret, too. There is n serious penalty
attached to the exhibition Of ballot
after it is marked. The man may tell
any one how he Woodland he mav tell
. lic-but no one can know whether he
has told the truth or falsehOod. When
the ballots are counted no one but the
presiding officer can possibly know
one paper from the other. and it is
crediting him with extraordinary
memory to suppose that he could keep
in mind the two numbers that must be
in order to identify any
ballot as that of certain man. There
is an infinite variety of detail in the
respecting the acts to be
lone. and there are quite rs many
of things that must not be
lone before. during and after the poll
ing. but into none of these can we
enter. The law has had fourteen years
rial. There are some interesting and